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Everton are likely to sign a couple of players on transfer deadline day as the club moves closer to appointing Frank Lampard in the manager’s dugout at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

This has been a chaotic transfer window for the Toffees and on deadline day this Monday, it’s set to get even crazier.

As well as being on the verge of appointing Lampard, they are set to welcome Donny van de Beek to the club on loan from Manchester United.

But, the new boss won’t stop there in his pursuit of new signings according to reporter Alan Myers.

The journalist was asked on Twitter on Sunday whether the Dutchman would be the club’s final addition but he responded; “I doubt it.”

Myers then added in another tweet: “I’d guess 2 to 3 [signings] maybe.”

Fans buzzing

After all of the protest and rage that has engulfed Goodison this month, it looks as though Everton are set to end the month on a high.

The appointment of Lampard is ambitious and will take the club in a new direction after the previously appointed Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez; two individuals with far more coaching experience under their belts.

However, what Lampard has in common with those two, is a lure, particularly for young English players or footballers looking to get their careers back on track.

Van de Beek perfectly fits that description and with Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli also on the club’s radar, this could be a captivating finish to the window.

Myers doesn’t mention who may follow the Man United midfielder through the door but the fact that Lampard is wasting no time in looking to strengthen his squad should be music to the ears of supporters.

After all, this is a team that sit in 16th place in the Premier League after just one win in their last 14 top-flight encounters.

AND in other news, Everton gifted late transfer boost that may save their season, Lampard will be a hero…

Many West Ham fans have slammed the performance of Lukasz Fabianski in their 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.

David Moyes made just one change from their last Premier League game, with Jarrod Bowen dropping to the bench in place of Arthur Masuaku. However, it was Fabianski’s display which had a lot of Hammers fans talking, and not for the right reasons.

The 36-year-old continued to keep Alphonse Areola out of the side in the Premier League and kept up his record of playing in every Premier League fixture this season.

Fabianski struggled with the ball at his feet in tricky conditions at the Etihad Stadium, though, and he was fortunate that Riyad Mahrez was ruled offside after his poor clearance in the opening stages ended with the City winger putting the ball in the net.

As per SofaScore, the shot-stopper, who made six saves, lost the ball on 15 occasions, misplacing 15 of his 23 attempted long passes.

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West Ham fans react

Here is what these West Ham supporters had to say about the goalkeeper’s display against the Premier League champions, with one labelling him a ‘liability’.

“Fabianski is a liability, please start playing Areola”

Credit: @WHU_EUFC

“Fabianski playing for City?”

Credit: @CraigPodevin

“Fabianski’s distribution is awful”

Credit: @georgejones_01

“Fabianski’s kicking is terrible”

Credit: @VintageLanzini

“Fabianski’s distribution is abysmal.”

Credit: @lukejessop16

“Fabianski out”

Credit: @JoelBids_

In other news: Journalist lifts lid on West Ham ‘meeting’ to sign red-hot Brazil international

With Sunderland currently sitting in sixth place in the League One table, Lee Johnson’s side have conceded a total of 22 goals in 17 games, more than any other side above them in the table.

This could have something to do with the fact that the Black Cats currently have a number of injured defensive players such as Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin and Denver Hume out of action, leaving Johnson having to play the likes of Carl Winchester and Luke O’Nien in the full-back positions in recent matches.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is on the horizon, one player that the Wearside club should be looking to bring in to help ease their injury crisis is Eric Lichaj.

After being linked with a move for the full-back during the previous summer transfer window after leaving Turkish club Faith Karagumruk in January, it seems as though the club could be forced into securing the defender’s signature in this upcoming window on a free transfer as a result of their current injury worries.

The 33-year-old, who is currently valued at £450k according to Transfermarkt, has a total of 345 senior club appearances under his belt throughout his career, with 257 of them coming in the Championship, showing how much experience he has that he could offer Sunderland if he joins in January.

Despite predominantly playing as a right-back, Lichaj, who was previously described as “phenomenal” by Nigel Adkins during his time at Hull City, has also played a decent number of games in the left-back position, highlighting his versatility that could be a big help for Sunderland if they still have defensive injuries in the full-back positions heading into the New Year.

On that evidence, signing Lichaj on a free transfer should be at the top of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ priority list. With injuries aplenty, he could help the team push towards promotion by the end of the season.

In other news: Johnson must ruthlessly axe “unique” lightweight tonight, he could cost SAFC dearly – opinion

Loads of Everton fans were reacting to some early team news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Burnley in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

As per Patrick Boyland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has said that he is now ‘hoping’ to return from injury against the Clarets at Turf Moor, in what The Athletic journalist claims would be a ‘boost’ for the Goodison Park faithful.

The striker has been out injured since August, and scored three goals in his first three games of the season (Transfermarkt). This, added to the 21 goals that he managed as the Merseyside club’s top scorer last term, shows just how important he is to the team, and so to have him back would be a big welcome.

However, with a longer term injury, some Toffees supporters are cautious that he is not rushed back, and are just hopeful that he is fit enough to play some part.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin injury news

These Blues reacted to the news as it was shared on Twitter:

“It’s a Christmas miracle Tiny Tim”

Credit: @bmoney831

“Don’t know if he starts Sunday, but nevertheless good news. We’ve missed Dom greatly.”

Credit: @EFCCollins11

“Holds breath”

Credit: @Blueste35650715

“Bring me the one who floats”

Credit: @ShoeyEFC1234

“Hopefully he lasts longer than Mina did on his return”

Credit: @timjenkinson28

“We really could do with Mina back as well percentage of games we win when he plays”

Credit: @MarkMur25726299

In other news, find out what stadium news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Robby McCrorie has refused to rule out another loan exit away from Glasgow Rangers next season.

McCrorie discusses Gers future

23-year-old McCrorie is currently on loan at Livingston in the Premiership and has played 14 games in the top flight so far this term (Transfermarkt), with boss Gary Holt calling him “excellent” on his league debut (The Scottish Sun).

Speaking ahead of Livingston’s clash with Hibernian this weekend, McCrorie was discussing his Rangers future, and he refused to rule out leaving on a temporary basis once more. He said (via sportsmole.co.uk):

“We have six league games left and hopefully a run in the Scottish Cup but I don’t think I can look too far in terms of the summer.

“It is not really up to me what happens, that is up to the gaffer at Rangers.

“I will go in at pre-season or whatever and try to do my best. It will be a case of looking at it.

“But I love playing football so I would probably be open to going out on loan again but we will see.

“I signed a deal in the summer so I have another two years at Rangers after this season. The most important thing for any young player is to be playing games.

“I will go back at the end of the season, assess what is best for going forward and I have all the support networks to help me get where I need to go.”

Plenty of competition

At 23, McCrorie will have been hoping to have already broken into the Gers side. Unfortunately, he has one of the greatest goalkeepers in the club’s history in front of him in Allan McGregor. The 39-year-old has kept 16 clean sheets in 23 league matches this campaign and has shipped just seven times – he is arguably as good at the moment as he has ever been.

Still, it is clear McGregor is approaching the end of his career. When he does eventually retire, McCrorie could well have a chance to finally establish himself as the Gers’ number one. The youngster just has to be patient and wait for his opportunity.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Ondrej Kudela footage.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes transfer plans could be holding up David Moyes’ contract extension at West Ham.

Moyes’ current deal expires at the end of the season and he is yet to agree on fresh terms despite the excellent campaign the Hammers are having.

After fighting relegation last term, West Ham are now on course to secure European football this time round, showing just how great of a job the 57-year-old is doing.

Bearing that in mind, it may come as a surprise to some that he has not signed a new contract yet. Palmer, however, believes there is good reason, suggesting the former Manchester United and Everton manager could be waiting to hear how much money he has to spend in the summer.

“David Moyes has put himself in the driving seat with West Ham,” Palmer told FFC. “As long as they meet his demands, in terms of players he would like to bring in [he should sign a new deal].

“I know that they had a bit of a sticking point over the centre-back that they wanted to get out of Burnley [James Tarkowski]. But, you know, to be fair to Sean Dyche, why would he want to sell one of his best players? And if he’s going to sell him, like he said, he wants top dollar for him. So I don’t disagree with the West Ham owners standing their ground on the money that they were asking for him, but that could be a sticking point for David Moyes.”

It is understandable if Moyes is indeed waiting for clarity over funds as he potentially looks to establish West Ham as a side who regularly challenge for European football.

The Scotsman will also feel that he should be trusted when it comes to recruitment after bringing in the likes of Tomas Soucek and Jesse Lingard, who have both made massive impacts at the London Stadium this season.

Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension their transfer chief Fabio Paratici, are ‘expected’ to ‘win the race’ for a potentially impressive summer signing, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Major summer looming…

The Lilywhites, tasked with showing manager Antonio Conte that they’re serious about building a winning Premier League side, are set for an intriguing window upon the end of 2021/2022.

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Spurs’ head coach has apparently got his eye on as many as six major signings, which include the possible additions of a reserve keeper, right-wing-back, central defender, two midfielders and a forward (The Telegraph).

This comes amid recent claims that Paris-Saint Germain are eyeing Conte as an heir to ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is allegedly set to leave the French capital.

The Latest: Gold makes promising Johnstone claim…

In some good news for Spurs, backing recent reports, it appears the north Londoners are firm favourites to seal West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on a Bosman.

Indeed, sharing news in a football.london piece on who could leave N17 this summer, reliable journalist Gold also claimed, when commenting on Pierluigi Gollini’s future, that Paratici and co are ‘expected to win the race’ for Johnstone this summer.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Johnstone’s contract runs out in June, gifting the club an opportunity to snap up a capable understudy to Hugo Lloris for zero cost.

An England international and ‘world class’ keeper, at least according to Wolves legend Steve Bull, journalist Pete O’Rourke has also raved over the thought of Spurs landing Johnstone for nothing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, recently, the reporter claimed finalising a free transfer for West Brom’s 29-year-old would be a ‘really impressive’ first signing of the window by Spurs.

His proven top flight quality, and the fact his capture could go some way to mitigating Tottenham’s homegrown quota issues, make this move a real no-brainer.

Gold’s update that Paratici is still in pole position certainly comes as a promising one.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’…he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram has been heavily linked with a move to Glasgow Rangers in recent months and after his impressive display against Manchester United on Wednesday night, you could certainly make the case that he could make a fine addition to Steven Gerrard’s side.

Reports in recent weeks revealed that Lundstram found himself on Rangers’ radar after he rejected a new contract offer at Bramall Lane but, despite their purported interest, a move is yet to materialise.

The 26-year-old, who has been with the Blades since signing from Oxford United in 2017, is still available for selection, but Chris Wilder recently confirmed that the club expects to sell him in January, with Rangers reportedly among the interested parties.

After a mixed start to the season, Lundstram – who has spent most of his career in England’s lower leagues – delivered another reminder of his talent to Gerrard as he helped the Blades beat the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

Per SofaScore, the £7m-rated midfield ace earned a solid 6.7 rating for his efforts, which was better than both Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.

During the 90′ minutes, Lundstram made one tackle, two clearances and two interceptions, a tally bettered by only four of his teammates.

Defensive duties aside, he also showed he is prepared to carry the ball forward, as evidenced by his two key passes, a total he shared with former Rangers prospect John Fleck.

Lundstram took 49 touches of the ball, the third-highest out of any Sheffield United player on the pitch, and one more than his midfield partner, whilst he provided the assist to put the Blades back in front after they had been pegged back.

The midfielder produced more passes than Fleck, with 24 of his 34 attempts (71%) finding a striped shirt, albeit both brought a slightly different dynamic to United’s engine room.

On top of this, he also attempted to loft long balls over the top on eight occasions, and although only one found their target, his vision for splitting the defence could make him the perfect fit for Rangers’ squad, as Steven Davis has become renowned for his long-range passing.

The two clearances and interceptions Lundstram made shows he raised his game against the Red Devils, perhaps with an eye on a possible move, when you consider the fact he currently averages 0.7 clearances and 0.5 interceptions respectively in the Premier League.

Indeed, it’s worth pointing out that this is nearly double the number of clearances and interceptions made by Davis in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, which suggests that he could be a like-for-like replacement for the veteran Northern Irishman if and when the time comes for him to depart Ibrox.

With Bongani Zungu struggling to make much of an impression, coupled with the fact that Davis isn’t getting any younger, Gerrard could be in dire need of some midfield reinforcements in the future, which is why Wilson should consider making a move for Lundstram before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: Rangers’ Glen Kamara was superb against Hibernian…

Kieran Maguire has dropped a big claim on Newcastle United’s anti-competition takeover case against the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Ashley launches case

Mike Ashley has launched an anti-competition lawsuit against the top flight with regards to their decision-making process in the failed takeover of the club from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The chief executive of Sports Direct has since appointed Daniel Jowell as his QC for the case, which is separate from the arbitration case due to take place between the two parties involved.

The Latest: Maguire favours Ashley

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire – who is an expert in the field of football finance – has claimed that Ashley could be the biggest potential winner in the long run as the case is launched, while also claiming that the Premier League being granted an extension to respond to it is a ‘filibuster’:

“The biggest potential winner in this is going to be Mike Ashley rather than Newcastle, in the long-term.

“And he is playing a long-term game. Newcastle fans have had to be patient and this is the kind of prevarication we do associate with our silver-tongued friends in the legal profession.

“We’ve seen it in the form of charges from the EFL against clubs that may or may not have the impact of deferring points deductions, for example. So it is a filibuster, in effect.”

The Verdict: Premier League delaying takeover

The fact that the Premier League have been granted an extension to respond to the case does seem like a delaying tactic in the bigger picture of the potential takeover going through.

They also have an arbitration hearing to face against the St James’ Park club, with the results not guaranteed to go their way.

What is for sure is that the results of both legal battles should paint a much clearer picture over the direction of where the potential takeover is heading, as Newcastle will be hoping that the outcomes are positive from their point of view.

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The uncertainty over whether the potential takeover can be completed is not ideal going into the summer transfer window, as the Magpies do not know what kind of players they will be looking to buy, but the Toon Army will probably not care one bit if it means that the KSA consortium can end Ashley’s tenure.

In other news, find out what big Joe Willock transfer update has been dropped!

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has backed Josh Windass to win a place in Sheffield Wednesday’s starting XI under new manager Darren Moore.

Windass has been “frustrated” by his lack of playing time, something former caretaker boss Neil Thompson revealed last month, but was given a start in the recent 3-2 defeat to Luton Town and did not disappoint.

The 27-year-old managed to bag himself two goals on the day in a display that will surely give his new boss something to think about ahead of that all-important clash against Rotherham United on Wednesday.

They were his fourth and fifth of the Championship campaign, and Palmer is now hoping to see him kick on amid what has been a difficult period not just for the player, but the club as a whole.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Windass’ recent performance, Palmer said:

“He’s now scored two goals. So, you know, I expect Darren to select him. I’m sure he’ll be speaking to Thompson, who knows the players really well. And I would assume that Josh will start the next game. You would expect to as a player if you scored two goals, and then the rest is down to him.”

While Windass will surely be keen to impress if selected for the visit of Rotherham as he looks to nail down a regular position in Wednesday’s XI, his biggest concern will undoubtedly be securing the three points.

Paul Wayne’s side are only one point ahead of the Owls, albeit with a game in hand, so a win could really help change the complexion of the relegation battle.